Combined barrel truck and rack



Nov. 29, 1949' R, J, STEARNS 2,489,390

COMBINED BARREL TRIjCK AND RACK Filed April 1, 1948 Patented Nov. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to a combined barrel truck and rack, and its primary object is to provide a unit which is designed to facilitate the movement of a heavy barrel from a vertical position into an elevated horizontal position, so that the contents of the barrel may be readily withdrawn therefrom.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such a unit which will present a most stable barrel support for supporting a barrel in an elevated horizontal position, but which, at the same time, is provided with detachable means whereby the unit, along with its barrel, may be readily moved from place to place in the manner of a hand truck.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a combined truck and rack unit which may be readily handled by one man.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a unit of the above noted type which,

although most efficient in use, is, at the same time, designed to be readily and inexpensively manufactured.

With 'the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will readily be understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of the present invention.

Fig. 2 represents a side view of one of a pair of similar handle members which are adapted to be detachably secured to the rack unit which is disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of a portion of that handle unit which is disclosed in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 represents, on a smaller scale, a side elevation of the barrel rack tilted to its barrelengaging position, the barrel being shown in full lines in its normal vertical position, and being shown in dotted lines as resting against the rack.

Fig. 5 represents the barrel rack in its normal horizontal position, and illustrates the first step involved in placing the handle members in their operative positions upon the rack.

Fig. 6 represents the rack with its two handles secured thereto in a manner such as to convert the rack into a barrel truck.

Fig. 7 represents a fragmentary view of a portion of the rack, disclosing a handle member in association therewith.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the present invention is illustrated in a perspective view, from which it will be readily understood that the presentbarrel rack is made in the form of a simple frame, including laterally spaced bottom frame members In, I0 having the form of angle bars, with the lower flanges arranged horizontally, and. the upright flanges disposed at the respective outer edges of the lower flanges. Projecting upwardly from one end portion of each of the bottom frame members I0, I!) is a vertically disposed leg member I I which also takes the form of an angle bar. These two legs are, in turn, secured together by means of flat cross braces I2, l2. These braces may be suitably welded to the legs II, I I, and together at location I3. The opposite end portions of the frame members II], II] each has projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom, a rocker leg I4 which, like the legs II, II takes the form of an angle bar. These rocker legs I4, I4 are also secured together by means of a pair of flat cross braces I5, I5, each of which may be suitably welded at its opposite end portions to a respective one of the legs I4, I4, and to its associated brace at its mid-point.

Connecting the upper portions of the legs I I, I I and I4, I4 are a pair of upper frame members I6, I'B, each of which is suitably welded at its opposite end portions to a respective one of the legs II and I4. It is to be particularly noted that these upper frame members each take the form of an angle bar, with its lower flange arranged horizontally, so as to extend inwardly from the vertically arranged flange. It is also to be noted that the upper portions of the rocker legs I4, I4 are connected together by a plane cross plate H which is welded, in the usual fashion, at its end portions to the oppositely disposed legs I4, I4.

Extending from an intermediate portion of each of the rocker legs I4, I4 to an intermediate portion of a respective one of the lower frame members I0, I0, is a brace bar I8 which may be suitably welded in position, for the purpose of supporting a horizontally disposed tube I 9 which is welded at its opposite end portions to a respective one of the brace bars l8, I8. Secured, as by welding, to the upper portion of each of the vertically disposed legs II, II is a handle socket 2i] fabricated from a piece of plate metal, and provided with a substantially rectangular shaped notch, or aperture, 2!. The purpose of the tube I9 and the sockets 2t, 25 will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the actual use of the above described barrel rack, it normally stands in the positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. However, when it is desired to support a barrel on the rack, the latter is tilted upwardly so as to rest on its rocker legs I4, I4, in a manner as is particularly illustrated in Fig. 4. The barrel, herein designated by the numeral 22, may be tilted slightly away from the rack, so'that the cross plate I? may be inserted underneath the chime of the barrel.

tion of the stub shafts into the tube !9.

3 The barrel may then be dropped downwardly upon the plate l1, and thereafter the workman may grasp the upper part of the barrel, and tilt it towardthe rack, so that it will finally come to rest against the rack, in the position illustrated by the dotted lines of Fig. 4. Finally, the workman may tilt the rack, along with its barrel,-

- the rack is in the position as illustrated in Fig.

downwardly, so that it will come to rest in its normal horizontal position, asis'particularly il lustrated in Fig. 5. The usual tapping means 23 may then be applied to the barrel, for the purpose of withdrawing the fluid contents therefrom in a conventional manner.

From the above, it isto be particularly understood that the upper frame members l5, 16 are so arranged that the barrel may be supported therebetween in a most stable manner. Obviously, these two frame members are spaced apart 'a-sufficient distance to permit a portion of the barrel to extend below the normal level of the frames, so as to prevent any tendency for the barrel to shift relative to the rack. Also, it will be appreciated that a rack of the type herein'above described may be made up in various '-sizes,-so as to accommodate the divers types of barrels now in general use.

As noted hereinabove, the present invention also contemplates the provision of means Whereby the present rack may be moved about from place to place, in the manner of a truck. order to accomplish this objective, there is provided, a pair of wheeled handle units identical in design, one of these units being particularly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. More specifically,

each of these wheeled handle units comprises an elongated handle member 24 being provided at one end portion thereof, with a frame element 25. As may be particularly noted in Fig. 3, one end of this frame element is welded to the handle member as at 26, and is further secured to the handle member as by means of a cross brace 21 which has its opposite end portions each Welded to a portion of one of the respective elements 24 and-25. Between the end portions of the handle member 24 and the brace member 25, is pivotally 'journaled a shaft 28, upon which is secured a wheel 29. It will also be noted that this handle member'is provided with a stub shaft 36, one end of which is welded directly to the brace member 25, while its intermediate portion passes through an aperture provided in the handle element 24.

In'uslng the present wheel handle elements,

the workman first applies them to the rack, by

inserting each of the stub shafts 3!] into a respective one of the end portions of the tube l9. In performing this initial step, the handles are held in a substantially horizontally disposed position, as is particularly illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the Wheel elements 29 will not engage the floor and thus interfere with the proper inser- There'- after, the workman may position himself between the distal end portions of the two handles, and

by grasping the latter elements and elevating them, it will be understood that an intermediate portion of each of the handles will be snapped handles will not drop to the floor and consequently injure the workman. In this connection,

it is to be noted that the outer-portion of the 7, it will be completely mobile, and thereafter,

the workman may trundle the rack, alon with .its barrel,.from place to place, in the manner of a truck. In this latter connection, it will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that only one pair of wheel handle elements need be provided for association. with a plurality of racks, since normally the racks, along with their filled barrels, when once positioned in their normal resting place, would not need to be moved again until the barrels were empty. Since in the nor- 'mal operation only "one barrel need be moved at a time, it is manifest that one pair of wheeled handle elements may be adequate for use with a large number of racks. Furthermore, since the handle elements may be readily removed from the racks, they will present no obstruction to the workman, and therefore the rack, "with its barrel, requires less fioor space than if handle elements were rigidly secured to the racks proper.

From the above, it will be understood that the present invention provides a most novel and meritorious rack unit which, although highly efficient in use, is, at the same time, adapted for inexpensive manufacture.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising, a pair of front and a pair of rear supporting legs arranged substantially in rectangular formation, upper and lower side rails extending longitudinally between and connected to said front and rear legs, a supporting plate extending transversely between the upper portions of said front legs, a handle socket member secured upon the upperend portion of each of said rear legs, a handle fulcrum member disposed at each side of said device adjacent the juncture of each of said front legs and its associated lower side rail, a pair of handle members each including an elongated handle bar, a wheel rotatably mounted'at one end portion of said handle bar, and a mounting element disposed upon said handle bar adjacent said wheel, each of said handle members being detachably secured to a respective one of the sides of said device with its mounting element pivotally supported upon a respective one of said fulcrum members and with the free end portion of its handle bar carried by a respective one of said handle sockets.

2. The combination with a barrel stand having a substantially rectangular shaped skeleton frame including pairs of front and rear supporting legs interconnected by means of upper and lower longitudinally disposed side rails, a fulcrum member disposed at each side of said frame adjacent the juncture of each of said front legs and its associated lower side rail, and a socket member disposedupon the upper end portion of each of said rear legs, of a pair of handle members each including an elongated handle bar, a Wheel rotatably mounted at one end portion of each handle bar, and a mounting element disposed upon each of said handle bars adjacent said wheel, each of said handle members having its mounting element removably and pivotally secured upon a respective one of said fulcrum members so that the free'en'd of each handlebar maybe swung upwardly into a locking engagement with a respective one of said socket members.

3. The combination with a barrel stand having a pair of forwardly and upwardly inclined front supporting legs, a pair of upright rear legs, upper and lower side rails extending longitudinally between and connected to said front and rear legs, a barrel supporting plate extending transversely between the upper portions of said front legs, a socket member secured upon the upper end portion of each of said rear legs, and a fulcrum member disposed at each side of said device adjacent the juncture of each of said front legs and its associated lower side rail, of a pair of handle members each including an elongated handle bar, a wheel rotatably mounted at one end portion of each handle bar, and a mounting element disposed upon each of said handle bars adjacent said wheel, each of said handle members having its mounting element removably and pivotally secured upon a respective one of said fulcrum members so that its wheel will be disposed forwardly of said front legs and with the free end portion of the handle bar removably connected with a respective one of said socket members.

4. The combination with a barrel stand having a pair of forwardly and upwardly inclined front supporting legs, a pair of upstanding rear legs, pairs of upper and lower side rails extending longitudinally between and connecting said front and rear legs together, a barrel supporting plate transversely disposed across the upper portions of said front legs, a hollow tube disposed crosswise of said stand and adjacent the junctures of said front legs and their associated lower side rails, and a socket member carried upon the upper portion of each of said rear legs, of a pair of handle members each including an elongated handle bar,

a wheel rotatably mounted at one end portion of each handle bar, and a stub shaft disposed upon each of said handle bars adjacent said wheel, each of said handle members having its stub shaft removably and pivotally received with a respective end portion of said tube so that its wheel will be disposed forwardly of said front legs and with the free end portion of said handle bar removably connected with a respective one of said socket members.

5. The combination with a barrel stand having a substantially rectangular shaped skeleton frame including upright legs and longitudinally disposed upper and lower side rails, said stand being normally adapted to have its lower rails supported directly upon a floor surface, a socket member secured upon the upper end portion of each of the rear legs, and a fulcrum member disposed at each side of the stand adjacent the juncture of each of the front legs and the lower side rails, of a pair of handle members each including an elongated handle bar, a wheel rotatably mounted at one end portion of each handle bar, and a. mounting element disposed upon each of said handle bars adjacent said wheel, each of said handle members being adapted to have its mounting element removably and pivotally secured upon a respective one of said fulcrum members so that its wheel will be disposed forwardly of the front legs, said handle bars being adapted to be swung about said fulcrum members in vertical planes so as to force said wheels into engagement with the floor and simultaneously to releasably connect the free end portions of said handle bars with said socket members.

ROBERT J. STEARNS.

No references cited. 

